Tag: augmented reality technology

Mobile device users can celebrate whenever they want with digital pyrotechnics

A mobile product company called Pocket Scientist has just announced the unveiling of its augmented reality fireworks app that allows smartphone and tablet users to celebrate with a digital pyrotechnic display whenever they want.

These displays can be viewed on the screen of the device and can be selected for specific celebrations.

Some of the augmented reality fireworks that are available include New Years, romantic, and those for anniversaries. The various scenes that are available are designed to be appropriate for each different occasion.

The augmented reality technology that is used for the displays is cutting edge.

It helps to make it look as though the rockets and explosions that appear on the mobile devices are as real as possible. All the user needs to do is point the camera of the smartphone or tablet at the horizon, and the fireworks will appear in stunning colors and shapes.

The effects are meant to be as breathtaking as the real thing. The augmented reality pyrotechnics can work in daylight, but the full effect (as with the real deal) isn’t available until darkness has fallen. The perfect view is over a city’s lights from the side of a mountain or hill.

The augmented reality is used along with the camera of the smartphone or tablet. The rockets are launched into a three dimensional real time calculated space. If the camera is turned, the fireworks remain within the same virtual position and do not move along with the camera of the device.

This augmented reality application’s basic version is available for free download, but it comes with the downside of a watermark within the view as well as to a photograph that is taken from the actual AR view. The watermark is removed and the full app becomes available by paying a fee of $0.99.

Photos of the view of the augmented reality fireworks can be shared over a user’s Facebook account, so that their friends can also enjoy the images. This adds a completely different social element to the features that are available through this application.

Bing working on developing new augmented reality platforms

Microsoft’s search division Bing has been hard at work developing an augmented reality platform and applications that could gain traction with consumers. Microsoft has been showing a great deal of support in augmented reality recently. The company has plans to incorporate the technology into its next generation gaming platform, tentatively dubbed the Xbox 720. Bing is another sector in which Microsoft is looking to flex its developing augmented reality muscles.

AR team aims to develop new technologies

Bing has established an augmented reality team, which has been tasked with building a platform that acts as a place for users to find information in a natural way. The augmented reality team is working on camera tracking, visual and audio recognition, optical character tracking, translation, and vision-based technologies. These technologies will be used in mobile applications as well as the basic structure of the Bing search engine and its various services, such as Bing Maps.

Google may finally see some competition in the search space

Though Google continues to dominate the online search engine space, Bing is becoming a more popular platform. If augmented reality can be successful introduced, Google may have its first real competitor in the search sector. Bing is basing its augmented reality efforts around “naturalism,” that is, Bing aims to present its augmented reality services in a way that seem wholly natural to consumers. The user interface of the applications and platforms Bing is working on will be intuitive to consumers, no matter what their experience with augmented reality may be.

Companies have yet to show they can deliver with augmented reality

Bing’s augmented reality endeavors may find significant success if its applications and new augmented reality platform can appeal to consumers. Many consumers have already shown interest in the technology because of its dynamic nature, but there are few augmented reality platforms available from major companies like Microsoft and Google. Whether these companies can successfully develop platforms that can attract and keep consumers engaged has yet to be seen.